Terror Act invoked as NIA takes over blast probe

A preliminary investigation into the car blast near the Red Fort in Delhi has not found any visible involvement of a foreign-based terror organisation and has hinted at the role of the Faridabad-based terror module. The death toll in the incident rose to 13 on Tuesday.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe on Tuesday after a case was registered under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The NIA is likely to comb various parts of Haryana in the coming days in connection with the case.

Highly placed sources said NIA chief Sadanand Date might also visit Haryana soon as part of the probe. A team of the anti-terror agency reached Faridabad on Tuesday evening. In a related development, the city police arrested 13 persons in connection with the case.

The initial probe has revealed that the explosion was caused by the suspect in panic and desperation due to the raids carried out by the security agencies earlier in Delhi-NCR and Pulwama to nab suspected terror module members, the sources said.

The raids had led to the recovery of significant quantities of explosives. This is believed to have led the suspect to act hastily under mounting pressure, especially after 2,900 kg explosives along with detonators, timers and other bomb-making material were caught.

The sources said the bomb was not fully developed, thus limiting the impact. The Tribune had reported that the explosion did not create a crater on the spot and no shrapnels were found.

They said due to pan-India alertness and coordinated crackdown on the suspected terror module, a major attack was averted. Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had issued orders of handing over the probe in the Delhi blast case to the NIA after Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with top officials of the ministry as well as heads of intelligence agencies earlier in the day at his residence.

The NIA was instructed to investigate the incident and submit a report at the earliest, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police lodged an FIR in the blast case under Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, including Section 16 (punishment for terrorist acts) and Section 18 (punishment for conspiracy).

Charges have also been invoked under the Explosive Substances Act, specifically Section 3, for causing an explosion likely to endanger life and Section 4 for attempt to cause an explosion. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has also been applied, including Sections 103(1) for murder, 109(1) for attempt to murder and 161(2) for abetment to assault on a superior officer.

According to the FIR, “There was a loud explosion. The wall of the police chowki (at the Red Fort) also collapsed due to the explosion. The police staff rushed to the site and witnessed cars in which fire had broken out, while the injured were lying on the road. The injured were taken to the hospital. This indeed seems to be a bomb blast.”

As per police investigations and the footage obtained from CCTV, the i20 Hyundai car (in which the blast took place) was being driven by Umer un-Nabi, a resident of Pulwama.

The sources said Umer was the third doctor in the Faridabad module, besides two others — Adil Ahmed and Muzamil — who have already been arrested. Adil, a resident of Anantnag in J&K, is a senior doctor at a government hospital there. They are said to be part of the Faridabad-based module.

On October 19, when posters supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammad appeared in Srinagar, CCTV footage had led to Adil’s identification, and he was arrested from Saharanpur. Based on his interrogation, Muzamil was also caught, and a cache of around 2,900 kg of explosive material was recovered in Faridabad, the sources said.

A man, Tariq from Pulwama, who has been arrested, had reportedly given the i20 car to Umer, officials said.

Earlier, there were indications that Pakistani terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad might be involved. However investigators have not found any visible involvement of the outfit as per the initial probe.

The NIA, which had been assisting the Delhi Police in the investigations till now, formally took over the probe on Tuesday afternoon, soon after Shah’s meeting with heads of security agencies.

Later in the evening, the Home Minister held another round of meeting.

After the meeting, the Home Minister posted on X: “Chaired review meetings on the Delhi car blast with senior officials. Instructed them to hunt down each culprit behind the incident.”